Taking your meeting to San Diego this spring? Fresh attractions, transportation options, and hotel upgrades abound to make the experience all the more memorable for attendees.
SeaWorld San Diego welcomes “Jewels of the Sea: The Jellyfish Experience” on March 15. The exhibit will contain an interactive underwater aquarium featuring the tallest jellyfish tanks in the nation. Visitors can learn about jellyfish conservation, discover the mysteries behind their stings, explore the unique characteristics that distinguish moon jellies from sea nettles, and more. SeaWorld San Diego offers 13 distinct event venues, in-house catering, private shows, and park buyouts.
Attendees also might explore the beauty of the orchid during “World of Orchids” at San Diego Botanic Garden, on display from May 3 to June 1. The exhibition will be staged in the garden’s state-of-the-art, 8,000-square-foot, glass-enclosed facility, and will feature impressive orchid specimens, locally bred hybrids, and rare species plants displayed in unique and unexpected ways. The gardens’ largest event space, The Victorian Gazebo Lawn, is available for gatherings up to 300.
Before, after, or in-between meetings, support women makers by shopping at The Female Maker Market, new this year, held in the Little Italy neighborhood once a month throughout 2025. The market is hosted in the Piazza della Famiglia and offers goods from women-owned businesses ranging from trendy fashion to wellness products.
Getting Around Gets Easier
The neighborhoods of North Park and City Heights now have a free transportation option with the launch of Mid-City GO. The City Heights Community Development Corp., in partnership with the California Energy Commission and California Climate Investments, introduced the program to provide community members and visitors with free, on-demand shuttle rides between the two neighborhoods powered by zero-emission vehicles. Funded through the Clean Mobility Options Voucher Pilot Program, this initiative is part of broader state efforts to reduce emissions, improve public health, and expand access to clean transportation in communities.
The Department of Transportation also approved Alaska Airlines’ proposal to offer nonstop flights from San Diego International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C. Alaska Airlines is the only airline to offer this direct route. Flights will begin March 17.
For those who prefer the scenery of a train ride to get to San Diego, a federal grant was recently awarded to the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor Agency to add more Amtrak Pacific Surfliner trains between Los Angeles and San Diego, increasing service to 13 daily round trips. This expansion, which includes two new trains debuting in March and a third by November, aims to restore the service to pre-pandemic levels and improve transportation options along the busy Southern California corridor.
Hotel Happenings
The former Holiday Inn San Diego Bayside announced that it has joined the Hilton portfolio and reopened to guests as DoubleTree by Hilton San Diego Bayside. In addition, the property has been transformed with a full $5 million renovation, including upgrades to the lobby, guest rooms, restaurant, fitness center, and exterior, while also welcoming the addition of two new meetings spaces.
The Fairmont Grand Del Mar has partnered with Taktika Padel to bring the sport of padel to its guests and the community with the addition of new padel courts. The courts will add to the numerous outdoor activities and amenities currently available at the resort, including pickleball and tennis. Taktika’s championship coaching staff will provide private lessons, group clinics, leagues, tournaments, and events.
Across the bridge in Coronado, The Bower Coronado, one of the resort city’s first new developments in decades, is set to open in late March. The hotel takes an innovative approach to hospitality with transaction-free check-ins and offers custom-built itineraries for guests. The architecture and design embrace the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi, the idea of “perfect imperfection,” emphasizing natural materials and serene aesthetics in homage to its location on the historic grounds of industrialist John D. Spreckels’ Japanese tea garden. The Bower also will feature Coronado’s first and only rooftop bar and restaurant, Dive, available for private events that provide attendees with panoramic views from Point Loma to Mexico.
